New Beginnings
by romdilla
Summary: Raven stops by Terra's prison. During the Brotherhood of Evil arc.


The cavern was cool and damp; water dripped off the stone ceiling, echoing off chunks of fallen rock.

Raven sat at the base of a stone figure, illuminated by a burning spot of incense she had set at its feet. Her legs were crossed in the lotus position, and her eyes were closed.

The teenage hero's breathing was steady, calm. With each exhale of air, she cleared her mind, creating mental canals, which allowed her chaotic thoughts to filter out.

After a while, she spoke.

"It's been a while, Terra."

Silence greeted her statement. The metahuman could not speak - not even she could break the prison that covered her like a second skin.

Yet, Raven had no doubt her former comrade could hear her.

There was a consciousness entrapped within the stone, bright and powerful, dancing under the surface. She could feel it, scraping against the walls.

"Beast Boy couldn't make it; the Brotherhood of Evil is launching an attack in Moscow."

A slight breeze brushed the sorceress's hair.

Raven let out a breathy sigh - she had other business to attend to, and Robin would not be pleased with her absence during such a crucial time. However, the battle in Moscow provided an opportunity she couldn't miss.

The Brotherhood of Evil knew about this cavern. Terra was quite famous, as the titan who had almost destroyed the group of young heroes. Raven was aware that they monitored it, for whatever reason. Perhaps they wanted to recruit her, if she ever managed to break free?

Smoke spiraled upward, extending from the tips of incense sticks to kiss the top of the cave.

"You aren't my friend."

Their relationship was a complicated one.

Terra and Raven were complete opposites.

The blonde was bubbly and outgoing, while the lavender-haired witch was withdrawn and enigmatic. Before Slade had made her his apprentice, a quiet understanding had formed between the two. Back then, they had been friends.

Terra would occasionally join Raven in her meditations, like Starfire. The three of them formed a circle, relaxed in the early morning sun. A slight smile would tug at the edges of Raven's mouth as Terra fumed about being the only one stuck on the ground.

"You betrayed the Titans."

She still remembered their battle; the mud swallowed her whole, dragging her deep into the ground. Only by tapping into her demonic energies, her father's influence, had she escaped. The darkness bent to her will, and she found herself coughing up dirt on a small field outside of the city outskirts.

It had hurt more than she liked to admit.

Despite her attempts at walling the newest Titan out, Terra had found a place in her heart. Raven had never forgiven her.

"Are you a hero, Terra? Or are you a villain?"

During that first battle with Slade, Terra had chosen to fight with the Titans a final time.

That, at the very least, had earned Raven's respect.

There was no real answer to her question - Terra wasn't a hero, or a villain. She was only a girl, misunderstood by others, and cursed from birth. Raven understood that well.

Terra deserved a better hand than what fate had dealt her. Though she felt that it wasn't her decision, Raven wanted to be the one who would deal her a better hand.

She stood, staring at the statue, greeting the geomancer eye to eye.

Gingerly, she put a hand on her forehead. The cool sensation of stone tickled her palm.

"You might be screaming at me right now; telling me to stop. That this isn't what you want."

Her words bounced off the walls.

"You might be begging me to hurry up. Either way, I just..."

Raven trailed off, overcome by emotion for a few moments.

She cleared her throat before speaking again.

"Terra. Former Teen Titan. Tara Makrov. Friend. Enemy. Comrade."

The sorceress's eye glowed, a pure white, emanating power.

Loose stones beside them shuddered in her presence.

"I will give you a second chance. What you do with it is your choice; all I ask is that you live well."

A shiver ran up Raven's spine.

She spoke her mantra.

 _"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos."_


End file.
